A workplace where employees are happy, where innovation is born

With the diversification of work styles and heightened awareness of health, companies are accelerating efforts to revitalize employee communication, improve creativity, and achieve better work styles and well-being through health management. increase.

In this seminar held at NOMURA Co., Ltd., business executives who carried out office renovations during the coronavirus pandemic in 2021 and space designers from NOMURA Co., Ltd. who were in charge took the stage to discuss workplaces, the renewal review process, We unraveled the benefits of having employees themselves involved in office management and how it leads to the sustainable growth of a company.

We will broadcast live from the communication space "RESET SPACE" on the 4th floor of NOMURA Co., Ltd. head office, and tell you about the talk session while feeling the presence of employees having a meeting and the scent of coffee. In addition, in this article, we will publish an after-talk that also touched on office investment.

What is a workplace?
Workplace is a compound word of ``work'' and ``place,'' which basically means ``a place to work.'' This concept is not limited to the office, but encompasses any place where work is done. More than just a place to work, it is seen as a space where people gather and engage in intellectual activities. When designing a workplace, we comprehensively consider three elements: people, processes, and place, and seek the best way to achieve the organization's goals. To do. The workplace perspective has a deep impact not only on the functions of the office, but also on the way people work and live.

Moderator
Ayumi Fujimoto Representative at Will Work General Incorporated Association /Photo left
As the representative director of an organization that aims to create a society where people can choose their work styles, he follows trends in work styles from the forefront.

Speaker
Shinichi Watanabe Representative Director, President and Group CEO of Growth Ex Partners Co., Ltd. / Center photo
We completely renovated our office in October 2021 to increase employee engagement and wellbeing.

Manabu Yamanobe Space Designer, NOMURA Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd./Photo right
Worked on numerous workplaces including NOMURA Co., Ltd. communication space “RESET SPACE”

* Names and positions of the organizations to which the speakers belong are as of December 2021

Title A workplace where employees are happy, where innovation is born
Examples of offices in the new normal era
date Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Space NOMURA Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd. communication space "RESET SPACE"

The office is no longer a place of work

Workplace in the new normal era: Considering NOMURA Co., Ltd. ’s survey results and case studies

Before starting the session, I introduced the results of the "Awareness Survey on Work Styles and Workplaces in 2021" conducted by NOMURA Co., Ltd.. From the results of this survey, the key points for the workplace in the new normal era are visualization of corporate culture and philosophies, fostering a sense of unity while making the most of the diversity of employees, and how to increase employee satisfaction. It turns out that

Next, Mr. Yamanobe, a space designer at NOMURA Co., Ltd., introduced examples of workplaces before and after COVID-19, as well as NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's new office, which will be renewed in 2021.

Yamanobe
Before COVID-19, the office was a place to work, the home was a place to rest, and the city was a place to play. And even after the deregulation, everyone has realized that it is surprisingly possible to work from home, and they are beginning to think that it is okay to think more flexibly about where they work.

Until now, the office was a place to work, but from now on, I think it will be a place for creative activities. It is important to strengthen the things that can only be done in the office, create margins in the space, and restore richness. That's why we're talking within the team about evolving from a "workplace for working" to a "creative space for generating inspiration." In addition, the value of meeting in real life is increasing, and the office is a place for communication, including chance encounters, and will remain a place for brand transmission and a place to show corporate philosophy.

Mr. Fujimoto
A place that was just a place to work is becoming a place of communication. It may be the future of the office that employees think about how to use it.

 

In the archived video, we take up three cases as "workplace design trends" and explain them in detail. If you would like to watch, please apply from here.

Left) Start with communication to create innovation BOSCHcompany The communication floor of the Shibuya headquarters office "The NEST”
Center) Increasing the value of the dining floor to a community lounge in a commercial facility Sunshine City Alpa Community Lounge "Sunshine City SOLARIUM”
Right) Experimenting with office management in the new normal era NOMURA Co., Ltd. new office

 

In the new normal era, what kind of office is necessary for employees and companies?

Mr. Shinichi Watanabe of Growth X Partners Co., Ltd. talked about the work style issues he felt during the corona crisis and how he renovated the office to suit the new normal era.

Mr. Watanabe
Growth X Partners Co., Ltd. is an excellent health company that has been certified as the highest three-star certification of "Silver certification (* 1)" and "Eruboshi (* 2)" and "Health management excellent corporation 2022". Our company name contains our corporate philosophy, and we aim to realize a sustainable business by synchronizing the growth of our customers and employees. Underlying this is the belief that employees grow on their own, and that the culmination of that growth will lead to the growth of the company. Our basic business management policy is to create an environment in which employees can work with peace of mind and face their own growth.

*1 Silver certification: Operated by the Health Enterprise Declaration Tokyo Promotion Council
*2 Eruboshi: A certification system based on the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace (Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace). The certification will be sent by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Due to COVID-19, we have banned all employees from coming to work from the end of March 2020, and have completely shifted to remote work. What was unexpected was that the company's performance did not decline even after the shift to remote work. I realized that I could work without an office, so I downsized the 2 floors of the building I was renting to 1 floor, and was about to cancel that 1 floor as well. In such a case, why not move from the building management company to the 48th floor with a good view? In response to this suggestion, we created an opportunity to meet Mr. Yamanobe from NOMURA Co., Ltd..
While discussing with Mr. Yamanobe how the new office should be, let's create an office where employees want to come and gather with friends without having to work! I thought.

A workplace that enhances employee initiative
Ideas that get employees excited and come together spontaneously

Due to such circumstances, the head office of Growth Xpartners has been reborn as an office that looks ahead to the new normal era. Yamanobe, who was in charge of the space design, introduced the points of the design.

Yamanobe
In order to create an office that everyone wants to come to, we believe that wellness, engagement, and growth are important. Taking advantage of the splendid view of the 48th floor, we established the concept of "SKY Agora (*3)", which focuses on functions for people to gather and interact. In the new office, the desks in the work area have a special shape, the conference room is partitioned with curtains, and the artwork of French art director Leslie David has been adopted for the pillars. It is an exciting space that overturns the concept of the office.

*3 AGORA: A place for gatherings, a plaza

Mr. Watanabe
It's a place where people go out of their way to gather, so if each person enters their own space, it's no different from working from home. I dared to make contact with the person next to me. At our company, we currently recommend that employees come to work once a week in rotation (*4), but I feel that the new office has increased the attendance rate by about 30%. Everyone came to the office voluntarily, and employees who had no contact with each other chatted with each other, posted photos of the new office on SNS, and the posts received a lot of likes. Employees are happy.

*4 As of December 2021

Sunset photo taken by an employee

 

Archived videos detail the design story of Growth Expartners. If you would like to watch, please apply from here.

Workplaces are nurtured by employees.
It doesn't end with creation; it continues to evolve.

Yamanobe
For example, in our communication space "RESET SPACE", we analyze the flow of people and use it to improve the layout and make proposals to customers. Nearly 100 (*5) voluntary events for employees have also been held. An employee questionnaire is also conducted, and by having employees manage and nurture the space themselves, attachment to the space will be born.

Mr. Fujimoto
Mr. Watanabe, do you have an image of how you want the new office to evolve?

Mr. Watanabe
Some people said that they might not need an office anymore, so I dared to create a place where employees would want to come. I feel that when employees think and discuss how to use the space on their own initiative, ideas will be generated and the office will change organically.

*5Before COVID-19, currently implemented online

Keywords for the future workplace
A communication hub, a symbol of corporate culture, a place for people to grow

Mr. Fujimoto
What do you think will be required of the future workplace?

Yamanobe
Without a fun office that makes people want to come to work, employee engagement will not increase and innovation will not occur. From the standpoint of designing, I think that we have to propose it in a way that fits the corporate culture of each company.

Mr. Watanabe
As a manager, I am obsessed with the environment in which employees work and their growth. Our employees, our human resources, are the greatest driving force behind our company's growth, so we believe that investment in the working environment is also an investment in human resource development. In addition, the reason why our company's performance was not affected by the corona crisis is that we have a corporate culture and organizational climate based on the trust and communication that we have cultivated over many years. I believe that the new office should be a place where each employee can grow by inheriting this tradition.

As remote work becomes more commonplace, chance encounters and communication that were previously unnoticed may be lost, and corporate culture and organizational climate may become weaker. The workplace of the future will need to be a place of communication where the identity and culture of the company can be inherited and where each employee can grow. In addition, I think that we can expect sustainable growth of the company by doing so.

 

The archived video also features Q&A from participants answered by managers and designers, and the effects of the communication space "RESET SPACE."

AFTER TALK
Think of office renovation as an “investment in growth” for employees, the company, and society.

In the after-sales talk after the live broadcast, he also talked about office investment from the unique perspective of a manager. We will deliver a part of the conversation that could not be shown in the distribution only to nomlog.

Mr. Watanabe
In order for a company to survive 50 or 100 years from now, I think it is necessary to have a place to pass on knowledge where the identity and culture of the company can be experienced. I believe that the chemistry (*6) at the physical base is extremely important. For this reason, in the short term, the office will be smaller or unnecessary, but from a long-term perspective, we should invest in the office.

A company is just a vessel, and people are its assets. I can say that this office is very good as a “place to create own value” and “a place for employees to grow”. It is also important that not only our employees but also our customers and cooperating companies grow together. In the long run, it will lead to the sustainable growth of the company as it goes around society. That's why this office renovation can be said to be an "investment in growth" for all employees, the company, and society.

*6 Chemistry: Accidental encounters, relationships and effects that enhance each other

From the recruitment page of Growth X Partners

Yamanobe
This time, I was able to enter the site without returning to standard specifications, so I think it was efficient in terms of cost. It can be said that it is suitable for renewal in the new normal era because it can be designed according to the way you work. In the future, workplaces will become even more diverse, so I think that even old buildings with a high degree of design freedom will have value.

In the renewal of Growth Exppartners, we were able to collaborate from the examination process, which led to good results. I believe that it is the role of NOMURA Co., Ltd. to tune up the two needs of the work styles that management aims for and the voices of employees.

In pre-corona workplace renovations, the focus was on the concept of space per person and the maximum area, but with President Watanabe, we have discussed the changes in employee behavior brought about by the workplace.

Mr. Watanabe
It's actually made me well-being compared to my previous office. Behavioral changes in employees are also reflected in the way they look when they are working at their desks. In addition, there were some employees who often worked from home and had poor health check results, but after the renewal, some employees returned to work more frequently and regained their health. Some say that they have become more positive and feel that they are being cared for.

If you apply for an archive video filled with hints for office renewal, you can watch the entire seminar video and download the slides. If you would like to watch, please apply from here.

 

Speaker profile (career as of December 2021)

Ayumi Fujimoto
General Incorporated Association at Will Work Representative Director
Plug and Play Japan Co., Ltd. Executive Officer CMO
Director, Marketer Career Association

After graduating from university, changed jobs to Google after working as a salesperson and a manager of a job advertising medium. After working as a sales manager, became a partner in charge of the Women Will Project. After that, he left Google and in May 2016, established at Will Work, a general incorporated association that follows the trend of work styles at the forefront. At Plug and Play Co., Ltd., he served as Executive Officer and CMO, overseeing marketing and PR.

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Mr. Shinichi Watanabe
Growth X Partners Co., Ltd.
Representative Director, President and Group CEO

We are developing a wide range of businesses such as creative production business and consulting business for various companies such as medical, finance, manufacturing, department stores and sports federations. Currently, he also serves as the CEO of a group of six holding companies. As of 2021, sales have increased for 10 consecutive years. We have introduced initiatives to support diverse work styles, growth, and health so that employees can work enthusiastically and creatively with peace of mind. We moved our head office to the 48th floor of the Shinjuku Nomura Building and completely renewed our workplace.

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Manabu Yamanobe
Space Designer, NOMURA Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd.

Always keeping in mind "what is a comfortable space?", he has been involved in many workplace projects in recent years, including commercial product sales stores, and has been making creative proposals that look at the mechanisms and operations that activate communication. NOMURA Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd. "RESET SPACE (RE/SP)" (2018) won the "BAMBOO AWARD 2019" Gold Award, Bosch Shibuya Head Office 10F "The NEST" (2019) won the 32nd Nikkei New Office Award " Received the New Office Promotion Award. Most recently, he was in charge of the community lounge "Sunshine City SOLARIUM" (2021).